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26 November 2010

i know i go on & on about my love of the japanese nearly2dollars store (yes, they raised prices!), but can you blame a girl for gushing? recently we were in need of birthday prezzies for a mini who loves the store as thehobbit & i do, so off we went!

one thing that i love about the store is the wonky translation to be found on packaging - it is always fabulous. this time there were notebooks sporting wonkylations (real word), so i took photos of my favorites, just for you!

a sewing theme:

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a bear, with balloons:

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are they not the most wonderful things? what is making you smile today?

11 November 2010

so much is new around thebelfry. mostly it's elfling-related - words abilities, etc - such is the world of a bébé. i shan't bore you by gushing over how brilliant he is. i mean really now, what mama doesn't think her offspring is the next einstein? of course mine is. i also have some new treasures to share.

the above is a gorgeously tattered quilt. it was made by manlyman's grandmother's older sister. how's that for a mouth-full? my mother-in-law rescued it eons ago, when her mother was going to throw it away. gasp!

recently she nearly made me cry by passing the quilt on to me! i think i was actually somewhat near to being ever so slightly speechless for a moment or two. never was i so happy that manlyman's siblings don't like old things.

this sweet little shelf for the bathroom is my latest thrift shop find. i think it is the perfect shade: not quite white, not quite beige. its shallow shelves aren't the most practical, though it does manage to hold a few daily necessities.

for years now i have wanted this poster, & now i have it! in a wonderful old frame to boot! well, sort of. look more closely at the photo & you'll see it is, in fact, printed off my computer - frame & all. i know!

coming up, i have a tutorial for making frames such as these - though in card stock, not computer paper like mine. speaking of which: am i the only one who makes things better for others, than for herself? do you do that as well? please tell me you do. lie to me if need be.

rats, i had more to chat about, but a certain elfling has decided to wake early from his nap. thanks for visiting!

09 November 2010

to say hello! i have been a bit discombobulated the past few days, trying to get eleventy million things done. today is more of the same, but i did not want to let another day go by without visiting. i shall have a proper post for you tomorrow.

if all that were not woohoo enough, today i spoke with a woman about carrying my birthday crowns & birthday tiaras in her lovely boutique! we shall see where that path takes us. & yes, i am speaking of the royal we :)

02 November 2010

in honor of my mother's first year as an ancestor, instead of sugar skulls, we opted to make chocolate ones. she loved dark chocolate. is there any other kind? i mean, really now.

we had planned on making the skulls, then decorating them after they'd cooled, but we chose the lazy way. hence the above (hobbit-named) bloody skull look. this is a child-friendly craft, by the way.

what you'll need: small skull molds (google lists many places from which to purchase molds), your favorite chocolate (we used bittersweet), & colored sugar. edited to say :: you'll see that i'd cut the mold into strips. it makes it easier to pop the sugar skulls onto the drying rack. you don't need to do this for chocolate.

* melt your chocolate in a double boiler, or microwave. to do the latter, nuke it for one minute on high, stir, then 20 seconds more, & stir. that should be long enough.

* place your molds on a cookie sheet that fits in your freezer. if you haven't one, cut a piece of cardboard to fit. sprinkle the colored sugar into each skull.

* carefully fill each skull with chocolate. we have tried many ways of getting the chocolate into molds, & a fork was voted the best by thehobbit. you can plop in the bulk, & the last bit drizzles nicely off the tines. easy peasy.

* once all the mold's skulls have been filled, carefully pick up the mold, & tap it on the counter. this should remove any air bubbles.

* pop the tray of skulls into the freezer for at least 15 minutes. the longer you can leave them in, the better. you need their centers to harden.

* sprinkle sugar on a little plate on which you've jauntily placed a bloody skull, & photograph it next to your fancy pumpkin. or just eat it. whichever.

if you do this project, please let me know. i want to see photos! enjoy.

01 November 2010

﻿also known as day of the dead, dia de los muertos (ddlm) is a celebration that has its roots in ancient times. to learn all about it, read what dayofthedead, or wiki has to say.

i have a lazy version of a ddlm tutorial for you, but not until tomorrow. stop pouting, because i have some fun ddlm links to tide you over!

* our favorite thing to do is create sugar skulls. mexicansugarskullexplains the what & the why, has fabulous photos, & skull molds for sale. a great tutorial, as well.

* at azcentralyou can find a list of crafts to, as they say, make this ddlm one to remember.

* coloring pages are always fun. use them to decorate you home, or enhance a homeschool lesson. i'm told they're great for quieting your little kids, so their older siblings can actually do their lessons. thecolor has some perfectly suited to the holiday.

* speaking of homeschooling, check out this wonderful education packet! i don't want to spoil your oohs & aahs by telling you what's there, so just go take a peek.

that is all for today! come back tomorrow for my lazy version of a ddlm tutorial. have fun crafting!